I) Barlow was drunk and made the whole story up to impress the journalists. It's possible.

II) It's a done deal, just whoever pulls Williams' strings these days hasn't bothered to tell him yet, in much the same way they don't bother to warn the donkeys at Weston-Super-Mare that they'll be back on the beach next month.

III) It's a done deal, but Williams is a bit ashamed that the best he can do for Christmas is going back to the family, so he's trying to pretend it isn't going to happen.

IV) It's not a done deal, and the That camp are trying to bounce Williams into going along with it - after all, who wants to be publicly outed as the reason a reunion fails? (Apart from Agnetha Falkstog, obviously).

V) It's a done deal, but they've realised that people would enjoy seeing the rest of Take That without the whole show being spoiled by William's bounding ego and so they've just not bothered to ask him